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Born April 3, 1783 in New York City, Washington was the last of eleven children. He was named after our first President, George Washington. Although he loved to read, especially poetry, Washington did not like school and he quit when he became sixteen. It was at this time that he began his career writing stories for the New York Morning Chronicle. He fell in love with a young girl, Matilda Hoffman, and they became engaged to be married. When she fell ill and died, Washington decided to remain a bachelor for the remainder of his life. To help overcome his grief, he began writing more and more. He traveled to Europe, spending many years there, where he continued to write. Some of his books are The Humorists, Tales of a Traveller and A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, to name just a few. Returning to the United States in 1832, Washington Settled in New York on the Hudson River near Sleepy Hollow. He named his estate “Sunnyside” where he remained until his death in 1859. He is buried near Sleepy Hollow.